Silica, i.e., silicon dioxide or SiO2, has been used for a wide range of optical material for a long period of time, for example as a primary component of window glass. In modern optical materials, silica-based glass is appropriately modified, such as with dopants, for particular applications, such as fiber optics, planar optical waveguides and the like. A range of other materials, such as polymers are also widely used in optical applications. The index-of-refraction is a significant optical parameter since it influences the resulting optical properties of the material and interfaces with the material. However, silica-based materials have also found use in a range of other fields, such as dielectrics for electronics applications. Modern material applications introduce a wide range of demands on material performance to continually improve the resulting products. Thus, there is a desire to continue to develop new types of materials that can meet present and future material demands.